Italian Army Picks Nexter for Robotic Technology Assessment
Nexter’s robotics division has been opted by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), alongside Milrem (the programme’s primary contractor) and seven additional collaborators, as part of an assessment of various terrestrial and aerial robotic platforms for the Italian Army. This five-year initiative has three key aims: to showcase the latest advancements in robotics; to commence trials with existing platforms; and to formulate a concept for an autonomous robotic system customized to meet the end-user’s specifications.
The initial year of this initiative will unfold in three phases. In February 2022, the industrial partners will demonstrate to the Italian technical authorities the capabilities of the platforms chosen during the consultation process. The portfolio will comprise aerial drones and light to heavy ground robots weighing up to five tonnes. Subsequently, for two months, the partners will collaborate on establishing a standard to connect each robot or drone to a unified C2 (command and control) system. The concluding step will involve gathering feedback following this preliminary work and commencing a secondary evaluation in September 2022.
Nexter is acknowledged as a significant contributor in the military robotics domain since the inception of its subsidiary, Nexter Robotics, in 2012, as well as the initial commercial achievements of the NERVA series of land-based micro robots. Fifty-six of these modular reconnaissance robots were acquired by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) as part of the SCORPION programme, and several hundreds have also been manufactured for foreign military forces. Canada, for instance, has placed an order for 92 NERVA LG robots—a compact reconnaissance model intended for the ongoing evaluation.
Among the versatile tactical robots (RTP), Nexter offers combat vehicles equipped with an X20 cannon (OPTIO-X20), as well as robots designed for logistical transport, surveillance, route clearance, or the transport of artillery shells (ULTRO). Nexter has selected the latest addition to its robotics portfolio, the ULTRO-600, categorized as a mule robot, for assessment. This multi-functional, electrically powered tactical robot can handle loads of up to 600kg or accommodate weapon systems ranging from 5.56 to 12.7mm.
